บท 290: 287
Haruto and his team stood silently in the dunes, the vast desert stretching endlessly around them as they finalized their reconnaissance mission. The quiet hum of the wind masked the underlying tension of operating deep within enemy territory. Haruto kept his senses sharp, pushing his chakra sensitivity to its limits. His sensory abilities weren't as precise as Takeshi's Byakugan. Instead, he felt chakra signatures as distinct presences in an otherwise dark void, a sixth sense attuned only to people. He didn't think it was tied to his eyes, but it did overlap with his normal vision when the two converged.
This ability, however, was limited—no terrain, no details, just the echo of energy. He could make conjectures based on what he saw with his eyes, but without the clarity a Hyuga's vision provided. Still, he knew that if he unlocked Tier 3 sensitivity, this sense would sharpen considerably. For now, though, he relied on Tier 2, which served him well enough he thought as he stood guard alongside Takeshi.
Nearby, their leader, Ryota, meticulously updated the map with the information they had gathered. Haruto caught a brief look, committing every detail to memory with his photographic recall. The map would be crucial if they had to make a quick getaway.
Suddenly, Takeshi's expression shifted, his Byakugan active, eyes widening with tension. "We have company," he whispered, his voice taut. "Two from the west, two from the east. Four in total."
Haruto closed his eyes, extending his chakra sensitivity further to confirm. Sure enough, he felt the four distinct signatures moving toward them, closing in fast. But as he expanded his senses, something else surfaced—a faint, restrained signature holding back to the east, positioned directly along their escape route.
"Five in total," Haruto relayed quietly, sharing the information with the others. There was no time for hesitation; their pre-planned escape protocol was clear. If discovered, they were to retreat eastward, back to the outpost on the Land of Fire's border, each person responsible for their own survival. The information was more important than any one member of the team.
Without a word, Ryota sealed the map scroll, stowing it safely, and gave them a quick signal to fall back. Haruto took the rear position as they broke into a sprint, his mind cold and focused. He respected his teammates' skills but didn't consider any of them friends or comrades. This detachment made the retreat easier—if any fell behind, he wouldn't be compelled to slow down or risk his own life for them.
As they sprinted through the sands, the first enemy appeared, emerging from the dunes ahead. A young Sand genin, around Haruto's age, charged forward, his face set with fierce determination as he held a kunai, blocking Haruto's path. Haruto's mouth curled into a cold smirk. His Tier 2 chakra density allowed him to use his strength in powerful bursts, a technique Tsunade herself had taught him to enhance his close-quarters power.
In a fluid motion, he surged forward, his chakra pooling into his arm, enhancing the force of his strike. He met the Sand genin's kunai with his own, the two blades clashing with a metallic screech. The impact reverberated up Haruto's arm as he drove his weight and enhanced strength into the strike, forcing the Sand ninja's stance to buckle. Haruto twisted his blade with ruthless precision, slicing cleanly across his opponent's throat. Without sparing a second glance, he continued his sprint, leaving the genin to clutch his neck, blood spilling into the sand in his wake.
Ahead of him, Takeshi encountered a second enemy—a Sand chunin with fierce movements and honed reflexes. Garana was a seasoned fighter, her strikes sharp and relentless, each attack a testament to her skill. Takeshi's Byakugan gave him a distinct advantage, allowing him to anticipate and counter her moves with practiced ease, his palms striking swiftly at her chakra points. But Takeshi's hesitation frustrated Haruto. They weren't here to engage—they were here to escape.
"Idiot," Haruto thought with disdain. Takeshi was too absorbed in the immediate fight, failing to notice the other two enemy shinobi closing in from the west. Haruto held back any urge to intervene. "Dumbass," he thought, smirking coldly. "Maybe they'll get his Byakugan." The thought almost amused him. Takeshi had been given a clear mission, and if he couldn't follow orders, he was on his own.
Meanwhile, Ryota had pushed further ahead, moving swiftly to keep distance between himself and the approaching enemies. But the faint chakra signature Haruto had sensed earlier suddenly surged forward, drawing closer to Ryota with deadly precision. Haruto focused his senses, feeling the sheer intensity of this fifth signature as it closed in on their leader's position.
Then, the desert around them erupted.
Velan's chakra flared like a blaze, the unmistakable presence of a skilled jonin. Haruto's senses sharpened as he caught the flurry of chakra: small stones, weaponized by chakra, accelerated with deadly precision. Velan's jutsu was terrifyingly fast—a combination of stone and wind techniques that propelled the stones with staggering speed.
Velan's barrage of stones fired in quick bursts—two at a time, rapid and relentless. He shot three volleys in rapid succession, each pair of stones whistling through the air, aimed with deadly accuracy. The speed was blinding, each stone enhanced by the wind chakra, moving faster than any projectile Haruto had ever seen. The attack struck like an ambush, silent until the last possible moment.
Ryota had only a split second to react. He dodged, twisting his body, but one stone struck his shoulder, piercing through flesh with brutal force. He stumbled, blood seeping down his arm, his breathing ragged from the unexpected hit.
Desperate to buy himself a moment, Ryota began weaving hand signs, hoping to trap Velan in a genjutsu. But Velan was relentless, charging forward with chakra-charged speed, his focus intent and unyielding. In a final, desperate moment, Ryota's hands froze mid-seal as he felt the jonin's presence bearing down on him, too fast to evade.
"Too fast," was Ryota's last thought as Velan's kunai plunged into his throat, silencing him instantly.
Haruto, sensing only the dim echo of Ryota's chakra fading, felt no shock, no remorse. This was the plan—they were each responsible for themselves. With Velan now fully engaged in blocking their escape route, Haruto seized his opening.
As the remaining enemy signatures shifted, Haruto sensed the others beginning their pursuit. But he was determined not to be caught. As sand and wind swirled in chaotic clouds behind him, he raced eastward, his focus sharp and unwavering. His mind fixed on one goal alone: survival and the success of the mission.
The desert winds howled around him, the sounds of battle fading as he put distance between himself and the relentless Sand jonin. The mission wasn't complete yet, but Haruto's resolve was unwavering.
Now he just needed to get away from the Ninja who was either a special Jonin or Jonin who had started to chase after him.
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